


Be With Me

by tmwillson3



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Banter, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Face-Sitting, Family Feels, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Force Bond (Star Wars), Humor, Oral Sex, Pregnancy, Rey Needs A Hug, Shameless Smut, Tatooine (Star Wars), Tender Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:41:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22610431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmwillson3/pseuds/tmwillson3
Summary: TROS Fix-it. When Rey asks the Jedi of the past to be with her, the bond she shares with Kylo Ren also opens. He is forced to come to terms with his growing feelings for her, and together, they take down the greatest evil, those words continuing to bring them together.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51
Collections: For one is both and both are one in love: The Reylo Fanfiction Anthology's Valentine's Day Exchange





	Be With Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [qotsisajakk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/qotsisajakk/gifts).



> Thanks for the lovely prompts! I tried to combine two of them, which were:
> 
> Prompt 1-BEN SOLO LIVES. And finds Rey on Tatooine as she's burying the sabers  
> Prompt 3- Ben is the little spoon.
> 
> General likes: Argumentative, snarky Reylo, slow burns, and Skywalker family shenanigans starring Ben and Rey.
> 
> I have tried to deliver on all of these things at some point, mostly at the end. There's probably a little more angst than you wanted, but I promise it's all worth it!

"Be with me."

The Supreme Leader was frozen to his spot on the cold, durasteel floor when he heard The Last Jedi utter those three words, their bond opening for the tiniest sliver of a moment until it closed, Rey giving up.

She didn't believe in him. Not enough.

He thought she had at one point. She had been avoiding him for so long, so this opening of the bond was unexpected and needed. He went to his grandfather's helmet, determined to connect to Rey once more now that he had more information about her. 

He saw more than he had expected of her past through the Force, and then he saw it. The throne. Them. 

It was everything he had wanted, and more. 

He had seen visions of himself on the throne before, but they had always felt incomplete. 

Now he knew why. 

Rey.

He sat atop the throne, and he had never looked more proud and regal. That same pleasure of times past was there, but magnified tenfold by what he saw her beside him. Garbed in matching black robes to signify that she had been the one to turn, Rey was powerful and magnificent, and he clung to that image with every fiber of his soul. 

He wanted her beside him more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. 

She stood beside him for a moment before taking his hand. His eyes became laser-trained on that contact, that connection they shared that was more powerful than anything else he had ever seen. He felt their connection even stronger there, when they were connected, just as when they had fought in Snoke's throne room together. It had sent him in a dark spiral for months, and he had never been able to figure out  _ why  _ it had felt like touching a live wire when their hands touched. Only that it had.

And he missed it far more than he cared to admit. As he moved about afterward, though, there was a lingering sense of unease that he couldn't shake. 

After sensing their combined powers being even stronger together through the vision, he began to do research. There  _ had  _ to be a reason why they were stronger together. Time in the archives revealed the answer at last when he looked into Force Bonds. A dyad in the Force. What they had was truly special, something unseen in generations. 

All he wanted was to tell her, show her yet again why they were meant to be together.

But it still brought up the question that haunted his every waking thought: if she wanted to take his hand, why didn't she?

When it became necessary to find her, it was with new confidence that he reached out to her, sure that no matter how far away they were from one another, he'd always have  _ her. _

He'd never be alone  _ ever _ again. 

And yet, the moment he saw her, it seemed as though she wanted nothing more than to destroy him. He felt her conflict, the simmering distrust through their bond, making him feel unnerved. In those moments, he was glad to be wearing the helmet; it hid his feelings that were no doubt broadcasted across his face since he was weak when it came to her.

He saw the necklace.  _ That _ was new. Someone had given it to her, and red, hot jealousy sparked within him, making his body tighten, legs stiffening as though for battle. He wanted her for himself and himself alone. No one else could touch her. 

Thoughts of who most likely gave it to her made his brief exchange with Rey shorter and tenser. As he stepped toward her, he felt her presence more strongly, smelled her, felt warmth radiating off of her from herself and whatever hot planet she was on. The heat and her increased presence added another layer to the feelings that bubbled just below the surface.

Just as in the elevator, when they stared into one another's eyes, or when Rey had grabbed his thigh, or that highly charged moment after they had defeated the Praetorian guards, he felt it. That overwhelming attraction that made him  _ yearn  _ to touch her, to kiss her, to claim every inch of her body. 

It didn't help that her mind kept focusing on images of children. They seemed to be natives, but the longing she felt toward them, combined with his growing lust, led to him thinking of small children with short, curly dark hair and eyes that matched Rey's perfectly...and he  _ wanted  _ them. 

Every small movement he made seemed to make her more defiant. He wanted that defiance for himself, to reward it and more, to make her body come alive and hear her scream his name in ecstasy, the way he had imagined it so many times when alone at night. In those moments, dreams of her and her touch ghosting across his body made him seek relief, and he was always left trembling and gasping before roaring her name into the night. He didn't like losing control, but Rey had always been special. 

Different. 

His. 

His increasing lust made him impatient. Torn between wanting to tell her about herself and just taking the necklace, he settled for the necklace, knowing that he could use it to come to her and show her who she was.

Once she knew the truth, he knew she would take his hand, and he couldn't wait for it. 

He snatched the necklace, and just that brief touch of her body sent his body into overdrive, wanting to feel more of her. He felt far more satisfied than he should by stealing that necklace. 

It was still warm from touching her body. It even smelled like her, just the slightest whiff of desert, sweat, and something uniquely her. 

Her scent had distracted him in the elevator. Not looking at her, examining her, had taken everything within him, but he had been lost the moment she said his name. 

He always felt lost when she said that forgotten name, though. Pain and regret mixed with shame, and that small, ever-present call of the light grew a little stronger. 

He thought he was stronger than that, but he always questioned it when confronted by Rey and his family. 

He lost himself in brooding about her and the light until he received the report of where she was. Then, he was gone. 

It was time to claim his Empress.

Thoughts of them together consumed him as he landed on Pasaana. He felt her presence as soon as he entered the atmosphere, her Force signature a homing beacon to her side. 

Her jumping and destroying his ship was...unexpected, to say the least. But he was proud of his Empress. She had learned much, and she would learn even more with him. 

The distance gaped between them, and her presence was even more addicting in person. He had forgotten how much he missed her, how much he wanted her. Everything about her was a siren's call to him, and resisting it to show her all that she was capable of was a herculean effort. When she finally unleashed the Force lightning, he was brought up short. Her power was truly something to behold, and that he should have been chosen for her left him beyond words. 

He felt unworthy of her and yet all the more desirous to have her, wanting to give her more of a reason to choose  _ him _ . 

He needed more power, to have something more to offer her besides himself. He wasn't enough. He had to do more.

And then, she was running away, and there was no way to follow. A dark feeling filled the pit of his stomach, and it felt like loss. 

He  _ needed _ to find her. 

He wanted her more than life itself, and in that moment, he could  _ begin  _ to understand why his grandfather had been weak and turned for his son. His weak, pathetic heart stuttered as his entire being vibrated with dark, possessive energy before he ordered his Knights to follow her and send her coordinates to him. 

She had been shaken by the lightning display, and now was the moment to strike. He knew that confusion well from his younger years, and he felt more compassion for her because of it. She would need someone to help her, to guide her. 

He would. 

Soon, he was on his way to Kijimi, and he grew increasingly frustrated the longer he couldn't find her. He sensed her presence in the Force close by, so when he grew too impatient, he opened their bond once more. 

As soon as she saw him, the air between them changed, new tension making them more aware of the other. With each new step, there was a certain fear, an edge, to each of them. He tried talking. He wanted that, but it was hard when all she wanted was to fight him, to not know anymore. They fought, the adrenaline and excitement from battle feeding the growing desire he had for her. 

The lightsaber duel, at least in his mind, quickly turned from defending himself to something else. The whirl and clash of their sabers, their saber colors intermingling in wide arcs as their bodies came at one another, again and again was addicting. The rapid, rhythmic pace did nothing but build up the tension that soared between them, their bond singing as they drew close and brought objects from each other's locations into the other's, until he saw the charred helmet.

She was in his quarters. His already growing need for her morphed into something overwhelming as he told her he would come to her. 

Lurid, haunting images filled his mind. Her, stretched across his bed, tangled and sweaty among his black, satin sheets. He, sitting on his knees and straining up, mouth agape, as her hips slammed needily into his. Her nails cutting red lines across his perfect chest. Their bodies intertwined, with no sound other than the raw, animalistic grunts and moans wrenched from their throats. Cresting as they wailed each other's name into the night. 

He grew impossibly hard from the images his mind conjured, and all he wanted was for her to surrender herself to him, to trust him.

He wanted to keep her. 

When he arrived in the hangar, the need grew worse. She was there, in the hangar. So very close, and she wanted to know about her family. He had tempted her enough.

At last. 

She wanted to leave him, and yet, there she was, still holding on to her idealized version of her family, needing them. He would help her break free of that need for family once and for all. She had a dark side. She tapped into it, and she needed to acknowledge it. Deal with it just as he had. Surrender to it to become all that she was capable of.

He liked to tell himself that he had accepted the darkness. It had been easy to lie to himself when he didn't speak to Rey. It was harder when she was standing in front of him, such a bright, shining spark of hope, just like those children he saw in her memory. 

It pained him to remember when he was like that, so many years ago.

Years  _ robbed _ from him by Palpatine, as it turned out. It had been the rudest awakening for him on Exegol, of how much he had been used. The desire to destroy the wrinkled prune had never been stronger. He had suffered enough. He didn't want Rey to suffer like he had at the hands of Snoke and Palpatine. She deserved better than all the pain and conflict.

His mind flickered back momentarily to the dark vision of them on the throne together. Something had felt  _ off  _ about Rey. 

"You're the granddaughter of Palpatine."

As he said it, he knew he caused her pain. He felt it through their bond and saw it on her face. It was a necessary pain, though. It was the only way for her to grow, to become what she needed to be. 

_ I know you. I know your pain, your conflict. I can help. Let me help you. _

He whispered the words through the bond. All he wanted was for her to take his hand, to join him. She didn't need to suffer anymore. That conflict he had, he could help her avoid. She just needed to  _ let go.  _

"We’re a dyad in the Force, Rey. Two that are one." 

He stepped toward her, sensing her confusion. Those same feelings from the throne room were broiling between them, and he felt more confident. With his mask removed, he offered her his hand once more. 

She wanted to take it. He felt it. 

She paused. 

She considered, but she didn't. 

She ran away. 

To the Endor system. Far from him, even though he knew exactly where she was going to find the wayfinder. What little remained of his heart seemed lost, crushed by her rejection as she joined her friends.

Anger, shame, and humiliation filled him. He gave lip service to the ugly raisin who was somehow inconceivably alive, and he barely gave a second thought to the news that Hux was dead and also the mole. Hux was spiteful enough; he had brought it upon himself. 

Soon, the Supreme Leader was landing on the remains of the second Death Star, and he felt her presence strongly. She pulled him to her like a magnet, he unable to stay away from his other half. The darkness was strong there, the shadows and ghosts of the past still very much alive, however much both of them desperately wished the past would die. 

As the wayfinder tumbled in front of him, he saw another opening to her. He hoped that she was ready to join him now. He felt her pain and conflict, and his feeble heart came alive, if only to beg him to think of her. 

He saw how much she seemed to fear and hate herself, and he didn't want her to feel like that. He wanted her to feel strong because of it, but the light within her...it still filled and saturated her, amazing him at how much she wanted that light.

It made him pause. Could she actually choose darkness? Would she? Or did she have the opposite struggle as him?

Too soon she was pulling her saber forward. Too bad her looking feral and so fierce made her all the more beautiful in his eyes. It was much harder to concentrate when he was uncomfortably aroused by her. 

Then, however, he touched the wayfinder. All thoughts of sex and babies disappeared as he saw what Rey had seen inside the vault: Dark Rey. 

Alone.

He had always thought that her coming to the Dark Side and joining him was meant to be. He had seen her turn when they had touched hands. He had wanted her then, and he wanted her all the more now. She had much darkness in her; she had so much potential there just as he did. How else could they be together? 

Seeing Rey in that moment, however, changed his mind. It equal parts scared and turned him on to see her like that, but the overwhelming feeling was one of dread. 

She was confident, yes, but she was alone. Miserable. Hopeless. Hating herself. It was a facade, all pretty and sleek, as she sought power and shut out everyone else. 

This wasn't her. 

Surely she could still be dark and be with him, though, right? Or was it all wishful thinking on his part?

Was that why he was still alone?

As the confusing mixture of feelings roiled within him, he focused on that darkness within her. As he mentioned his mother, he repeated the words he had told himself so many times, that he could never go back. 

Through their bond, he could feel the pang of sadness at his words. Her unspoken response, however, surprised him.

_ Liar. _

She didn't want it to be right, and he understood. He hadn't wanted it to be like that, either. However, he had gone too far, and she came from a very different place. The fact that the vault let her in meant something, just as how the charred mask of Vader had called to him at a young age. 

This was their legacy. 

Their potential. 

They could do so much together, and yet they fought like dogs. 

They continued to bark angry words at one another until Rey attacked him. He  _ probably _ shouldn't have crushed the wayfinder, but he needed to make a point. They were in this together, and she  _ still _ didn't understand. He defended himself, not wanting to kill her as he tried to understand his feelings. 

Just as the waves whipped about and tossed its angry spray everywhere, so, too, were the Supreme Leader's emotions as he battled with his single-minded desire and the truth that he had seen. As Finn was sent back beyond the waves, he had a heart-wrenching breakthrough as he witnessed Rey's selfless act to protect her friend. 

Rey coming to the Dark Side wasn't right. This wasn't how Rey was meant to be. She couldn't. It wasn't in her nature. She was light itself, always choosing it, even though she came from such darkness. Even from that small glimpse earlier, he saw how  _ alone  _ and hopeless she was, and that same pain and suffering he had felt for so many years was now a part of Rey. 

No. That could never be. He could stop this. 

He would. He would stand by her side. 

He couldn't wish that on her. 

As he stalked toward her, another terrible realization came: if she never fell to the dark, then they could never be together. They would always be on opposite sides. 

Anger filled him, and he began to fight harder, not just defend himself. 

No. This was not how it was meant to be. The Force didn't lie. Snoke, Palpatine, his parents, and Luke could all lie, but not the Force. This was too cruel. 

As he became resigned to the idea that they couldn't ever have more than this, this constant fighting and push/pull without any sign of the feelings being requited, he thrust harder, pushing her more than ever.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to push her because he wanted to talk to her if he won, or to have her put him out of his misery if she won since he could never have her. 

When he finally had her where he wanted, he raised his saber and eyed her. She seemed genuinely afraid, and he hated himself for appearing like that. He dropped his weapon, not wanting to be like Luke, all those years ago.

What he didn't count on was Rey responding so fast. As soon as his saber was in reach, she grabbed and ignited it. In the next instant, she impaled him, and he felt his mother's presence, felt her pain and sorrow, the heartbreak she still had for her son after so long.

He didn't want her to cry. Not now. 

Not like this. 

At least this way it was at Rey's hands. He wouldn't cause pain to Rey or his mother anymore. He didn't have to face himself or deal with the emotions and voices that swirled about and attacked him. 

"Leia."

So Rey sensed her, too. Even though he had collapsed on the ground, he had barely caught her rapid blinks, followed by a cold, lost look that almost looked like regret. Then he saw Rey's tears. He wanted to reach out to her, to hold her, but what was the point when she didn't want him? How could she want -- let alone love -- him when she had tried to kill him?

He felt cold. Bereft. Lost. 

His mind and body were drifting away, and all he wanted was his last moment, his last breath, to be Rey. 

To have his eyes be filled with the one good thing that he didn't regret wanting or saving every time. 

He was trying so hard to hold it all in, knowing Rey had killed him and that his mother was barely hanging on. He didn't understand why she drew close to him; she wasn't the type to gloat, nor could she care. He could barely sense her then, as his life slowly spilled out of him, but he grasped on to every little crumb of her he could have, however close she would come. 

At least he got to see her one last time.

It wasn't until Rey was leaning over him, cautiously putting a hand over his midsection, that he realized what she was doing. When she began Force-healing him, he couldn't believe it.

Why? Why him? 

He had asked that after waking up in Snoke's Throne Room as well. She made it seem as though she cared, and yet, she just tried to kill him! Why not let him die when he could never come back to the Light? 

In answer, Rey leaned in, voice sad and eyes tender. "I did want to take your hand. Ben's hand."

_ I  _ still _ want to take your hand. _

His heart cleaved in two. Everything he had ever valued and wanted was turned on its head. He had wanted the power to put certain people in place, to prove himself, to show that he was the true heir of Vader, and could be somebody better and new. 

Rey, however, didn't want the power, the prestige, the darkness, or anything like that. She wanted him.

Just him. 

Ben Solo. 

The one part of him he thought was weakest, most vulnerable and needed to be destroyed, was what she loved. All previously held assumptions and thoughts about himself were wiped away, his mind blown away by that simple truth.

How did he come back from that? What was he supposed to do now? 

Was the power even worth it now? No. He had tasted it for a year, and it was a lonely, frustrating experience. It hadn't been what he thought it would be. It had only seemed good because of the hope of Rey being beside him. Without her, he wanted no part of it. 

Death helped him see that clearly, and he was glad of that, if nothing else. 

What did he do now, though? 

Everything came back to Rey. She healed him, despite knowing he was clinging to the Dark Side, all because she still saw the conflict and light that persisted. That same light was what his mother appealed to, just as his father had on Starkiller Base.

To come home. 

But how? How could he come back? Hadn't he come too far? How did he deserve redemption? How  _ could _ he deserve it?

As hopelessness and confusion swallowed him whole, Rey stole his ship, leaving him alone. He wasn't left alone long, though.

"Hey, kid."

He turned to see a vision of his father standing behind him. For a moment, he was awestruck, and the tears of before came back, reducing him to silence as he looked on with regret, trying to hold back everything that had happened so fast.

_ Ben. _

His head jerked in the direction of the new voice, eyes desperately seeking the comforting presence of the one he had let down most.

Voice quivering, he stared at his father as he stuttered, "How?" The vision of his father grew stronger the more he believed and trusted. Then he said quietly, "Mother?"

Where Leia had been nothing but a voice before, now she, too, became visible, and her son's hands began to shake. 

"I miss you, Son."

Both his mother and father whispered those words, and the call of the light had never been stronger. He thought he had been conflicted before, but that was  _ nothing _ compared to now. His first response was to lash out, to say the same words he had said before, to Rey and his family.

"Your son is dead." It felt like a lie to his ears now, and he was ashamed of it. He abhorred lying, but he didn't understand.

Han shook his head and said, "No... Kylo Ren is dead."

Leia came forward, her hands reaching out to her son. "My son is alive."

He felt nothing but disbelief. In the corporeal sense, yes, he was alive. However, he could never go back to what he was before. He had done too much. 

Turning to his father, he said, "You're just a memory."

Leia looked hurt, but Han was undaunted. "Your memory. Come home." 

He shook his head. "It's too late." He felt Leia's presence waiver, what little strength she had waning quickly. He couldn't look. "She's going to be gone soon."

"I'm not dead yet," declared Leia with a scowl, stepping into her son's face. 

The familiar anger he felt from his mother was everything he hadn't expected to want to feel. She knew that same anger, just as he did.

"Yes, I do," she replied, making him realize he had spoken his thoughts aloud. "I know better than anyone, and I've always struggled to hold them in check. I tried to deny them for so long, and I did wrong by you because we never discussed it. I'm sorry."

Her hands came up to cup her son's face, and he still was afraid. 

"The anger doesn't have to define you, though. It's what you  _ do  _ with it that matters most," added Leia. 

Han spoke up then. "Your mother will always live on...through you. Just as I will, whether you believe it or not. What we stood for, what we fought for... that's not gone." Han paused for a moment before adding in a pleading voice, "Ben." 

"It's never too late. My father did the same thing," said Leia, her voice just as soft. "So can you."

Conflict tore him apart from the inside out. How could he let go? Why did he deserve redemption? Why did they still want him after all that time?

"We never  _ stopped _ wanting you," said Leia, her right hand touching his cheek. "We'll always love you, no matter what you choose."

Ben didn't want that conflict anymore. Somehow, Rey and his parents still saw light in him, and he had tried so hard to crush that sliver of light and hope from him. 

No longer. 

He didn't deserve their forgiveness and love, but he received it anyway. He  _ wanted  _ to be worthy of it and stop the conflict once and for all. "I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it." 

Han came forward to touch his other cheek.

"You do."

Ben looked down at his lightsaber, his main symbol of the darkness that he wanted to shed, before looking back up at his parents. Choked up, Ben could barely get the words out. "Mom. Dad…"

_ I love you. _

As one, his parents replied, "I know." 

_ I love you, too, Son. _

Han faded from view, and Leia's presence in the Force grew weaker as he turned around and threw his old lightsaber into the stormy seas. When he turned back around, only Leia was there, and just barely. 

"Palpatine needs to be stopped," he said, looking briefly at the shore. 

"Rey's on her way already," said Leia, coming up and squeezing his hands. "If you need to make a quick escape, there's something Luke told me about Exegol that you should know."

"Based on what I've read in the archive, the Force has always behaved differently there," he said, noticing how Leia seemed to grow paler and weaker. "You should go. You're-"

"I failed you once, Ben, and I won't do it again. There's a convergence of the Force there. Tap into it. It'll take you home."

"The World Between Worlds exists?" he asked in disbelief. "I thought-"

"It does. Don't be afraid, Son. I'll be with you, now and always," said Leia, kissing his forehead before fading from view. 

Moments later, Ben felt his mother's presence leave the Force, and he teared up until she came back as a Force Ghost, smiling warmly. "Go to her, Ben."

He didn't need any more encouragement. He used the skimmer to get back to land and shed the wet, extra layers. Once he was on land, he found a ship and tricked a Stormtrooper into giving it to him, along with a blaster. He flew to Exegol from memory, and before long, he was landing. As soon as he entered the atmosphere, he sensed Rey close by, and his heart began to race. When he first touched the ground, he felt Rey's distress keenly. 

_ I'll come back for you, Sweetheart. I promise. _

Through their bond, he shared those words and felt her relief at once. Everything was going according to plan until he encountered the Knights of Ren. He had not thought through the throwing away of his saber, and he began to panic. All thoughts of himself disappeared, however, as he felt Rey's genuine fear, hate, and self-loathing as she encountered the very embodiment of evil. 

_ No.  _

She was  _ not  _ alone. He would not let her face him alone. 

He reached out to her at the same moment she called out to him.

_ Ben?  _

Their eyes met as their bond opened. 

With more confidence than he had ever known, he nodded, telling her that he had, indeed, turned, and had also come back for her. 

Telling her that she was more than her darkness, her family name, or past actions. 

_ Yes. I'm coming for you, Rey. _

He felt her relief. Precious seconds passed. 

_ Let me help you. _

_ How? _

_ I have something that belongs to you.  _

She smiled slightly, and then he saw what was at her side. Moments later, she transferred her second saber to him, and he mowed down what remained of the Knights of Ren. He followed Rey's beacon of light in the Force until he was beside her. 

_ You came back. _

Rey's relief and longing tugged at his heart. He wanted to speak to her, to focus on her, but he knew he couldn't. Not when the greatest evil was so close. 

_ Of course I did. You're not alone. _

_ Neither are you. _

They faced Palpatine together, but he was still faster, draining them of their energy and life-force until he had what he needed. Ben woke up first, determined to finish Palpatine once and for all. However, moments later, he was cast down into a pit, and he barely had enough time to use the Force to cushion his fall. The use drained him, though, and he soon fell and hit his head. 

He wasn't sure how long he blacked out for, but he felt Rey and Palpatine's presence keenly. There was still a chance. 

At least until he tried to move. His body ached all over, and Palpatine was even stronger than he remembered as he stopped all the ships at the same time. It seemed hopeless.

_ " _ Be with me."

"Rey," he croaked, and he felt the change in her, the fear a little less, even if she still felt overwhelmed. "I'm coming. Somehow."

"Be with me."

He needed more strength, just as she did. He needed that spirit of a true Jedi that shined so brightly in Rey. 

"I'll be with you."

If he could have held her hand then, he would have. As their souls met, a new energy filled the space around him. He felt energy tense around him, as though the Force were converging on him, and he thought of the World Between Worlds once more. He became distracted when he saw the Force Ghost of his namesake. 

"These are your final steps, Ben. Rise and take them."

When he saw Anakin next, his heart wanted to burst. He held out a hand to help him up. "Ben, my grandson. Rise. I will be with you."

Two more unknown Ghosts appeared in quick succession, saying his name as he slowly stood up.

Leia appeared next, embracing her son. "Always."

Thus strengthened, he walked to the edge of the cliff. 

Anakin spoke again. "Bring back the balance, Ben. As I did."

Ben placed shaky hands on the cliff and began to climb. He had to stop after three steps due to his exhaustion.

"The light. Find the light, Ben," said another Jedi who appeared above, waving him up. 

Mace Windu appeared next. "You're not alone, Ben."

Ben got a burst of energy from that, and as he took his next step, he was further encouraged by Yoda. "Alone, never have you been." 

Qui-Gon Jinn appeared next when he made it halfway to the top. "Every Jedi who ever lived, lives in you."

Anakin reappeared a little higher, his hand extended to his grandson. "The force surrounds you, Ben."

Another Force ghost appeared and offered a hand as well. "Let it guide you." 

A third appeared above them. "As it guided us." 

Ben felt new energy fill him as he let their words wash over him, and his strength and speed increased. He was almost there. Almost to Rey. When he heard her groan at getting up, he moved even faster, his need to protect her pushing him all the more.

Mace Windu appeared at the three-quarters mark, just when Ben felt Rey starting to flag. "Feel the force rushing through you, Ben."

Anakin appeared again, still higher, and Ben pushed himself once more. "Let the Force lift you, Ben."

The cliff edge was close. Ben could see it. He took two more steps, and he was just below it. Then his mother appeared, leaning down at the top, offering him a hand up, her lightsaber in the other. "Rise, Ben."

He took his mother's hand and swung himself out of the pit. After a minute to recover, he took the offered saber and limped his way to Rey. He was grateful that Palpatine was too caught up in Rey to notice him until it was too late. 

The wrinkly, old prune shouted, "You are nothing! A scavenger girl is no match for the power in me! I am  _ all _ the Sith!"

Rey felt Ben's comforting presence beside her, turning at the same time that Palpatine finally noticed. As soon as the old raisin saw him, Ben depressed the button, switching on his mother's saber.

Together, the two proclaimed, "And we...are all the Jedi."

With a final push and step forward, the reunited dyad drew from one another's presence and found the strength to finish Palpatine, once and for all. As he exploded into nothingness, both Ben and Rey took several wobbly steps back. Ben started to smile until he saw how much the fight with Palpatine had affected Rey. She dropped to the ground, seeming as though she were going to die.

"No!" he cried, following her down. He knelt before he could scramble to sit, cradling her close. "Rey, no. You can't leave me. I won't let you."

She was fading fast. Panicking, he drew upon every last bit of strength he had, placing a hand on Rey's midsection and meditating. 

He hadn't thought he could ever come back and be a Jedi, but everyone's presence earlier had proven otherwise. Now, it was time to make the ultimate sacrifice, like a true Jedi. 

He did it gladly. 

He would do  _ anything  _ to bring Rey back, even if it meant he died. 

She was worth it. 

He gave it all to her, and he clung to her tightly, unwilling to let go of the one woman who had believed in him first. 

When she didn't stir at first, his heart stuttered.

"You have to live, Rey. Come back."

He buried his face in her chest, and that was when he felt it: a heartbeat. A moment later, her hand covered his, and he dragged his face away, scared and hopeful until he saw her tear-stained face and shiny eyes.

"Ben."

He could die happy now. Nothing else mattered than seeing her alive and smiling, happy to see him. 

"Rey-"

He couldn't speak when her hands tentatively cupped his face. As soon as he felt her solid presence and saw how she leaned in to kiss him, he couldn't stop. He met her halfway, his first kiss messy but ardent as their lips claimed one another at long last. 

When they pulled apart, he saw the biggest smile on her face, and he couldn't stop himself from grinning, even if he had wanted to. He smiled for the first time in over ten years, his joy and love for Rey making him feel lighter and stronger than ever. Her hands continued to slide along his face, and he wanted her soft, light touch everywhere.

Then he felt it, the last of his strength waning now that he had healed Rey. 

"Rey," he whispered weakly, feeling dizzy, even as he sensed another convergence in the Force surround him.

Her words rang out as she tried to heal him in turn. "Ben, no!"

That last kick of attempted healing allowed him to reach out to the convergence around him. 

Home. 

They always said that you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. He had been the villain already and had finally chosen to be the hero; he could die there, now at peace.

He surrendered to the Force surrounding him, and he felt pinpricks all over his body until they became heated pricks of pain. Then, he woke up, confused when he discovered he was naked.

In the desert. 

With a weird creature flitting above him. Had he somehow come to Tatooine? He remembered the twin suns from stories of Luke during his academy years. What was home anyway? He didn't know.

_ Ben? _

He felt Rey reach out to him, and through their bond, he felt her relief as it bled out from her sadness. 

_ I'm here.  _

_ Where? _

He tried to tell her his theory, but that was when he was interrupted. 

"Hey! Who are you? Where'd you come from?" croaked the ancient, bulbous creature with thin wings. "Why are you naked?"

"I, ah, it's hard to explain," choked out Ben, close to dying, yet still trying to cover up. "I need-"

All he wanted was to find Rey and know she was safe. He would get by somehow. 

"Water, yeah. You look like you've been sitting out too long in the sun. Watto will help you. Then you can pay me back later," said Watto, making Ben scrunch his face in concentration. 

He knew that name from somewhere. He just couldn't remember where or when. All he did know was that he felt like death, and that the Force was telling him to leave the house at daybreak to find the place where Luke had grown up. 

Home, or some people's idea of home, at least.

Soon Watto was feeding him water and throwing a blanket over him. After some food and a couple bacta patches were found, Ben fell into a deep sleep, relieved that he was somehow alive. He had had more visions of Rey and of his uncle's childhood home, making him more determined than ever to find Rey and see why the Force wanted him on Tatooine.

When he awoke, it was to the curious face of Watto standing creepily over him. "Your face...it seems familiar. Like I've seen it in holos before."

Fear filled Ben that Watto knew he was the Supreme Leader and would call the attention of everyone who wanted him dead now.

"I think you're mistaken," said Ben, panicking and trying to perform a Jedi mind trick on him. "I'm nobody. Where am I?"

Watto laughed. "What? You think you're some kind of Jedi, waving your hand like that? This is Tatooine. Who are you?" asked Watto, coming in closer. "I know your face."

Ben had never been so happy to be on Tatooine. He had that much less of a journey to fulfill the will of the Force. 

"I'm Ben Solo," he replied, never more relieved to admit that. It was true. He was Ben now, and always would be. He wouldn't recognize that name, surely.

"Solo? Like the famous smuggler? He used to do runs for me before he went and married that Princess," said Watto, taken aback as he floated onto a tall stool. "But that means-"

"Yes." He sat up with a smug smile. "I'm Han Solo and Princess Leia's son," he admitted, the sense of satisfaction strong within him. He wished he could stand and proclaim it from the rooftops.

"You're a Skywalker? I hate your lot! You lost me everything!" cried Watto, raging and flying up. "Out! Get out of my home! That good for nothing Jedi never even helped me after I told him whom I sold his slave mother to."

It was Ben's turn to become angry. Oh yes, he recognized the creature now from stories of his grandfather. The man who had enslaved his grandfather and great-grandmother. 

"You  _ should _ fear me," said Ben, standing up and calling a blaster to his side. "I'm no ordinary Skywalker."

Watto flew towards the door, deathly afraid. "What do you want? I'll tell you anything."

"I need information. Where's the Lars homestead?" he asked, stepping forward and using the Force to hold Watto in place. "I also need food and supplies to get there."

"I, I, that place has been abandoned! Why does everyone want to go back to that moisture farm?" complained Watto. When Ben gave him a pained look, he added, "Fine, fine! I'll give it to you."

"Better. If you do everything I ask, I'll let you live and not shoot you down with this blaster," said Ben, preparing to fire it. 

"Does that mean you won't help me with the deadbeats who owe me a bit of money?" asked Watto, cringing when Ben's hold became stronger.

"Do you have any other slaves?" he asked tersely.

"Yes," agreed Watto. "Two more."

"I will if you free them."

Watto's displeasure was evident. "Then I'll do without. I don't want to die at the hands of a Jedi. Wait, wasn't the son of the Princess some kind of hotshot in the First Order?" 

"It doesn't matter," said Ben, getting up and wrapping the white sheet around himself until he could find clothes big enough to fit him. 

Once he left Watto and found enough food and supplies, including a vest and pants, he made his way to the Lars homestead. He couldn't explain why, but the Force kept telling him to go there in every dream and vision he had. Rey was still his first priority, and he didn't understand why the Force insisted he go there when Rey wouldn't be there. However, it had been too long since he had followed the will of the Force; he knew he had to. 

The journey was hot and arduous, so when he passed through the  wretched hive of scum and villainy , he pushed himself harder to go where the Force needed him. He  _ borrowed _ a speeder for the rest of the journey, and as the first golden rays of sunlight appeared over the sand dunes, he could see the moisture farm in the distance.

His mother had once said, "The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming." 

Never had her words been more true for his life. He could feel it now; this was the dawning of a new era in his life. He couldn't explain it until he felt a new presence in the Force close by, and his heart pounded in joy.

Rey.

She was close. Better yet, she was aboard the  _ Falcon.  _ He watched the ship appear and land near the homestead, and he rode as fast as he could, stopping just behind his father's ship

He ran the rest of the way, determined to hold Rey once more.

He didn't understand how or why the Force knew that he needed to come here to find Rey, but he was grateful. As soon as he was close, he watched her body stiffen, as though she sensed him the same way he was attuned to her every movement and mood. 

She held a wrapped bundle in her arms, and she was just placing it on the ground when he slid through the sand and stopped in front of her.

For a second, neither could breathe. Their eyes met, and their world became the one person standing in front of them, nothing else mattering. 

"Ben. You're alive," she breathed, relief washing through her. "I thought, I was so afraid, that I was imagining-"

With one hulking step, he closed the gap between them, kissing her soundly. His hands lovingly cradled her face, and her hands soon joined his, fingers eagery touching every inch of skin she could. 

"I love you," he breathed between frantic kisses. Each mole and freckle was lovingly found and adored, and Ben quickly memorized the taste of her face and jaw before savoring her neck. 

She whimpered and squirmed as he continued to lay soft kisses upon her. 

"I love you, too," she sighed, throwing her head back. As he kissed and nibbled faster, she mewled, her hips grounding against his as her hands found the lapels of his vest, pulling him against her roughly. 

Their bond was thrown wide open as both confessed everything on their hearts. He loved telling her how much he loved every inch of her he could touch, and she told him repeatedly how lost she had been without him, how she had missed him, and how much she yearned for him. 

_ I've missed you, Rey.  _

_ I thought I lost you, Ben.  _

_ Never.  _

He paused his kisses to be serious, much to her displeasure 

"I told you you'd never be alone. I've never lied to you, Rey, and I won't start now," he said before touching her swollen lips and combing through her hair. 

As he stared at her lips, a protective wave washed over him, and he leaned in close, until their foreheads touched. 

"This is how it will be from now on," he promised quietly. "Just the two of us."

"That's all I've ever wanted," she replied, pulling away so he looked at her. "You. Us."

Through the bond, he heard a new voice enter the bond, the wizened female voice clear and certain. 

_ The belonging you seek is not behind you; it is ahead. _

He gulped in a breath and finally stopped to take care of whatever it was Rey had been doing before. "Why are you here?"

"Now that Leia has passed, I went ahead and forged my own lightsaber, as she had always insisted I do." She showed him the yellow saber staff that Maz had helped her create before tucking it away again. "Because of that, I'm giving a proper home and burial to Luke and Leia's sabers at their ancestral home."

She undid the bundle to show the sabers they had used on Exegol. He stared in awe at them until she picked up Leia's and handed it to him. 

"You don't have one now, right, Ben?"

"No, I don't. I could make one again-"

"Take Leia's. She would've wanted you to finish what she started," said Rey, forcefully putting in his hand. "At least until you're ready to make your own. We can do it together."

He grinned, proud and happy to carry on that legacy. 

"I'd like that," he replied, gripping his mother's saber tightly. "Thank you."

Had either looked around them, they would've seen the approving looks of Leia, Anakin, and Luke in the distance. 

"Let's bury the legacy saber at least."

He nodded, and together they let Anakin's saber be left where his heart had always been: with family. It was only when they pulled apart that both were shocked to see Anakin's ghost standing there, judging them harshly. 

"Really, Rey? After all your time on Jakku, you're leaving  _ my _ saber in the sand? You should know better!" he cried petulantly before facing Ben. "And you. You know how I feel about sand."

Ben's mouth gaped, not expecting this  _ at all _ .

"I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere. Not like elsewhere."

"I guess I'm just used to it," replied Rey with amusement since Ben was still struck dumb. 

"Perhaps." Anakin's face changed to something softer after that. "It's about time you two got together."

It was Rey's turn to go silent as Ben coughed, both blushing.

"You do recall that Jedi are encouraged to show compassion, right?" asked Anakin, looking smug. "Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is essential to a Jedi's life. So you might say, that we are encouraged to love."

He looked between them, and both blushed more. "The ultimate evil has been defeated. Now you're free." He approached Ben. "You always spoke of wanting to finish what I started; now you understand what it truly is." After a pregnant pause, he continued, "You can have the love and family I always wanted. To raise children in peace, for them to know the love my mother gave me. I have high hopes for both of you."

Ben felt doubt attack them, the fear of messing up with children after his own less than stellar childhood coming to mind, but as he searched the bond for support, he was shocked to discover Rey had similar doubts. He took her hand, believing in her completely. 

She squeezed his hand tighter in response before a smile rugged at her features. 

"You'll have one another and put each other first. That's all you need," said Anakin before giving both a kiss on the forehead and disappearing.

"Now what?" asked Rey. "Where would you like to go?"

"I don't care. Anywhere, so long as it's with you. Home is with you," he said, taking both her hands.

"I never wish to be parted from you from this day forth," admitted Rey, her eyes soft as her voice became choked. "Ben, I thought I lost-"

"What are you doing here? This place has been abandoned for so long," said a female Tatooine elder. "Who are you?"

Both turned and noticed the elder giving them the side eye.

"I'm Ben. Ben Solo," he said proudly.

Rey replied in kind, her eyes caught up in Ben's. "I'm Rey." 

"Rey who?"

Rey squeezed Ben's hand, and he heard her little declaration over the bond. His heart soared as she chose him yet again for always. "Rey Solo."

"Ah, young love. The Lars and Skywalkers would like it if their home was being taken care of by such a sweet couple. Many blessings on your recent marriage."

Both blushed as the woman plodded off. They were about to speak when a roar cut through the air. 

"Chewie! Look who's back!"

Chewie appeared at the bottom of the ramp of the  _ Falcon _ , and before Ben had a moment to think, Chewie was embracing him, welcoming him back and thanking him for saving Rey. Ben was quite certain that he was going to lose all his innards from how tight Chewie squeezed. 

"It's good to see you again, too, Old Friend. I've missed you."

Rey joined the hug before too long, and when they broke apart, Chewie asked them what they planned to do next.

"Honestly, I just want a few days to think and recover," said Rey, taking Ben's hand. "Some time with Ben is what I really want, though."

"Chewie, did you have anything you need to do for a couple days?" asked Ben, sliding an arm around Rey's waist.

Chewie nodded and bid both farewell. BeeBee stayed with them just in case of emergencies until Chewie came back to take them to Ajan Kloss. After using the Force to clear out the majority of the sand in the settlement, the two unpacked their supplies before Rey brought forth another package.

"This is yours," she said sheepishly. "I've been holding on to it since Exegol."

He raised an eyebrow and took the package, surprised to find his old clothes that he had lost when entering the World Between Worlds. "Thank you."

"I know how much you like black," she said, eyeing his current clothing. Kissing his cheek, she whispered in his ear, "I love what you're wearing right now, but I like you I'm black as well."

"That's... even better," he breathed, kissing her until she deepened it, opening her mouth to his wandering, needy tongue. Soon, she was exploring his mouth with equal abandon, and they pulled apart for air, neither one seemed ready to stop.

"BeeBee, I think you should go into low power mode," said Rey, her eyes going to the droid until Ben shucked the white shirt and vest he wore, revealing his toned upper body. Then, she couldn't take her eyes off of him as a new energy filled the air between them. "At least until tomorrow night."

BeeBee chirped his agreement and whirred away as Rey approached the man that held her heart. 

"I forgot how much I love you without a shirt," she said, one hand starting at his clavicle and slowly sliding its way down, touching the skin she had always yearned to touch. 

He shivered, and a new sense of awareness passed between them. 

"Are you not used to this?" she asked quietly, starting to pull away. "Don't you like it?"

His hands arrested hers. "I do. Too much." He grabbed her other hand to have it join the first on his chest. "I've wanted you for so long."

She exhaled a loud breath. "Not as long or as much as I want you."

"We'll agree to disagree," he replied, pulling her arms around his midsection, until their chests met.

"That won't do for me," she said, eyeing him. "I don't want you to doubt my feelings at all." 

Her hands slid up and down his back. He started to grow hard as her hot, little hands dipped and found every plane of his back. When she accidentally scratched him with her nails, she satisfied one of his fantasies, responding by grinding his hips against hers, the bulge in his pants larger and needier. As she sighed into his touch, his hands took to undoing the buns she wore, letting it all go free before he ravaged her hair, exploring and touching every inch of it. 

"Scratch me again," he demanded, his hot breath tickling her ear. "I want to feel you  _ everywhere _ ."

She whimpered, did as he asked, and allowed him to push her backward until she was backed against a wall. 

He nuzzled the skin between her shoulder and neck, worrying and kissing it repeatedly as her hips began to buck against his more insistently, seeking friction and finding it as she rubbed her clothed core up and down his hard length. 

"Ben,  _ please _ ," she panted, pulling him as close to her as she could. 

His brain didn't fully understand what she wanted, but his body seemed to as his hands grasped her butt and she wrapped her legs around his hips before canting against his harder. Her hands destroyed his hair, clawing his scalp as his grip grew tighter around her butt.

"Yes, Rey," he breathed, pushing her harder against the wall, the wall vibrating in response. "Don't stop."

"Never."

Her eyes were wild, a hungry look filling her face as she took him in. He dipped into their bond, and he saw her desire, her naked against the wall, her body vaulting up and down with pleasure as she rode his cock. He couldn't get enough of it, of the sounds of their lovemaking from their bodies slapping, his cock slippery and soaked in her juices as it thrust in and out of her repeatedly, both chanting each other's names and little love words to the other as they went faster and faster. 

His real cock hardened to something painful as he bit her neck and right earlobe, needing more of her as they dry humped one another. 

He knew then what she wanted, and he was equal parts excited and afraid. He had never done it before with a woman, and he wanted her to be happy. "Tell me what you want," he pleaded, his hands going to the bottom hem of her tunic.

"You. Just you," she replied, cupping one of his cheeks. "All of you."

His hips bucked against hers at her words, and she moaned like a feral animal, her eyes closing as she surrendered to the pleasure overwhelming her. He placed his hands against the wall as hers gripped his shoulders, the rhythm of their pounding against the wall harder. 

Lust filled him at the same time as feelings much warmer and deeper than the lust surfaced, overwhelmed by her words. His body slowed down a fraction. 

"Rey, I, I don't know how I deserved you-"

She laughed before shaking her head, quieting him and their frantic movements with a finger to his lips. " _ I'm _ the one who doesn't deserve you. I was the monster who tried to kill you on the Death Star, remember?"

He shook his head vehemently. "You saw light in me when no one else did. Even when you made mistakes, you always chose the light. You never believed the lies that I did, that we could never move on past our mistakes. You deserve so much more than what I can offer," he said, kissing her up and down her neck. 

"But I-"

"I refuse to hear otherwise," he interrupted.

Her face grew solemn for a moment before she replied, "No matter what, I will  _ always  _ choose you. Ever since we touched hands, I've wanted you. I saw glimpses of you before that, but then-"

"That's why you came to me," he breathed in awe before kissing her, noticing tears in her eyes.

"Yes. I wanted you beside me. I hated your decision and still wanted you after Crait, but I was heartbroken. I shut you and everyone out so much that I, that I-"

"Shh," he said, soothing her sobs before kissing her again. 

As she kissed him back, he slowly let her down, giving her the hug she had desperately wanted before. She, in turn, hugged him and told him repeatedly how deserving he was of her, of happiness, of every good thing. As the heat of midday became scorching, Rey dragged him out of the main common area to one of the bedrooms. 

Sitting on a palate, she beckoned him to join her, spreading her legs suggestively. "It's the hottest part of the day. We should be doing as little as possible."

With a devilish grin, he asked, "What did you have in mind?"

"Since you're not fully healed, I thought I'd take care of you. Perhaps explore more of your body," she replied coyly, scooting to the edge of the palate to make room for him. 

"I suppose I ought to remove all my clothes for this?" he asked dryly, removing his shoes. 

"Oh yes." She got up and rested both hands at the opening to his pants. The bulge that was there jumped as soon as she touched him, and her eyes lingered there, taking him in. 

Ben had never seen Rey look so hungry before, and he never wanted it to stop. He was sure that he looked just as desirous of wanting to worship her body and claim it for himself. 

Rey moved agonizingly slowly over his pants, allowing her hands to grip and fondle each muscle in his tree trunks for thighs, even leaving small kisses along the way down his chest, along his legs, and finally down the happy trail of hair and natural vee of his body, stopping, just above his cock. 

"Rey-"

"Hm?" she asked from her kneeling position, looking up innocently through her lashes. 

"I thought we weren't supposed to move much right now," he said, placing his hands on his hips. 

"That can be negotiated," she said with a wicked grin. 

"And if I refuse?" he asked playfully.

"Then we enter aggressive negotiations," she said simply, standing up and pulling him in for a kiss. 

The kiss quickly turned heated, hands touching and memorizing everything they could touch as Ben picked her up and settled them on the bed. Within moments, they were rolling on the bed, both battling for dominance. Rey only ended up on top after many kisses to persuade him. 

"You're mine now," she said, half-playful and half-serious as she ran her hands across his chest and arms.

His eyes met hers. "Always."

He saw her eyes become glassy before she blinked them repeatedly, trying to hide the emotions he inspired.

"Always yours," he added, pulling her down until she was lying on top of him, their sweat-slicked bodies meeting once more. "I'll never leave your side; I'll always stay." He saw the tears form at the edges of her eyes, and he leaped up to kiss them away. "Rey, please don't cry."

"I can't help it. No one's, no one's ever wanted to stay," she said through gulps, caressing his face. 

"I do. It's why I've always sought you out, even after Crait," he said softly. "I thought I wanted power and you, but I was wrong. I wanted you. Only you. Always will."

"It's," she sniffed, "it's too good to be true."

"Every word of it is true. Sometimes the truth isn't good enough; sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded. You've waited and believed for so long," he said, kissing each of her cheeks. 

"I love you, Ben," she said, seemingly out of the blue. Her face grew serious. "I know I didn't always act like it, but I've missed you. I didn't know who I was waiting for; I'm so glad it's you."

"I will  _ never _ be deserving of you," he started to say, at least until she shut him up with a kiss.

"You already are," she said reverently. "Let me show you how much I love you."

"As long as I can do the same to you afterward. I've imagined this moment for so long," he said.

"Show me," she said, getting up and moving down to his chest, peppering kisses everywhere. 

He opened their bond, and she gasped when she saw what he imagined late at night, alone and missing her. "Ben, I-"

"That's only the beginning," he said, pressing her mouth onto one of his nipples. When she nibbled it curiously, just like in his dream, he moaned, his hips jerking up in an attempt to find hers. "Rey-"

"Show me more," she pleaded, her eyes needy and hands grabby as she tweaked his other nipple, he growled. "Everything."

He showed her everything, his every lonely thought and desire, all the ways he wanted to have her, what he wanted to do to her, and everything he wanted her to do to him. She did not rest until she covered his body with kisses and nips, and he was unbearably hard. Each arm was lovingly examined, legs smothered and humped, and his chest marked with her nails amidst his cries for more. 

When her hands circled his tip through his black underwear, he groaned and shoved himself into her welcoming hand. He wanted to explode and die of happiness and lust.

"Rey, I'm not going to last-"

"Just a little longer. For me," she pleaded, pulling down the final layer on him. 

As she took in his angry, red cock, her lips formed an "O". He wanted to bury himself inside her and never come out. 

"I just want to taste," she said, leaning down until her lips barely brushed his tip. 

It took everything within him to hold on to his control. When she saw his white knuckles gripping the sheets, she tsked and licked the full length of him. 

"Rey!" he cried. "I'm barely holding on-"

"Don't," she said, meeting his eyes and holding them as she took him experimentally into her mouth, just as she had seen through the bond. "Do you like this?"

"More, more than anything," he blubbered, "I'll-"

She pulled off him with a wet pop. "I don't care. Let go for me, Ben. Let me take care of you."

"Rey, I, Rey!"

She took him in as far as she could while her hands cupped his balls. She struggled for a few moments with his girth and length, but soon she was bobbing her head, eagerly learning what he liked through their bond. He had found a closeness to her, a new, stronger connection he hadn't thought possible, and he lost himself within her. Moments later, his hands buried themselves in her hair, and he pumped into her mouth, harder and harder, needing her tongue sliding along his length and the light feel of her teeth and lips gripping his base. 

_ Ben. _

His name through their bond sent him higher, coming to the precipice. As her hands found his balls, he watched her lust-filled, love-crazed look as she greedily devoured him, and his balls tightened, ready to release.

_ I love you, Ben. _

He let go, coming in her mouth as he cried her name. When he came down from his high, Rey's mouth was still latched on to him, and it was only later she pulled away, looking smug and pleased. As she swallowed it all, her mouth scrunched up oddly for a moment, and then she was climbing over him, snuggling into his body.

"You look so...beautiful. Thank you for trusting me, Ben."

"Rey," he choked out, pulling her close. "I love you. More than life itself."

She snuggled into him before getting up to eye him. "I know; I saw that on Exegol. But there's no point in saving me unless you're beside me. I was so...desolate when you disappeared."

"I couldn't stop thinking about you," he said. 

For a time, the two simply lay there, content in the love they shared, whispering every loving word they could think of through their bond. When Ben seemed fully recovered, Rey took a moment to Force heal him again. 

"There. Now you're back to your old self," she said. 

He smirked. "Thank you. Now it's my turn to torture you with kisses."

She giggled and laughed as he sat up and laid her out on the bed. She didn't stop giggling until his large, warm hands found the bottom of her tunic and began to slide it up. As her body froze with apprehension, he sought her eyes.

"What is it, Rey? Tell me," he demanded.

He poked at her through the bond, and he saw images of buxom women who used to hang about Niima Outpost. 

She gestured at Ben and his very naked body. "No one's ever seen me like that before. I was always afraid."

"Of what? You're stunning," he said, kissing her belly button. 

She squirmed and smiled. "I'm small."

"Perfectly sized for me," he said, pulling the shirt off of her completely, so that only her breast band remained on top. He felt her little dip of pleasure at his description, but it still wasn't enough. 

"I'm inexperienced," she said unwillingly, ruffling his hair. "What if I can't please you?"

"Did you not see and feel how happy I was just now?" he asked, his tone not allowing any other answer. "You already have. Many times over," he said confidently. "I'm just as inexperienced. We'll learn together." He caressed her cheek briefly until she was convinced. 

"Nothing about you could leave me dissatisfied," she said, reading his thoughts through the bond. "You're all that I want."

"If you knew how much I wanted you, you'd never doubt your body again. I'm going to show you now," he growled, and she shivered at the low sound he made. 

As his eyes stared longingly at the breast band, Rey couldn't help but notice the way his cock seemed to grow and harden. She squeezed her legs together and pulled his face to meet hers.

"I'm still wearing pants, Ben. Get busy," she chided playfully, making him chuckle. 

"As you wish."

He tried very hard to keep his eyes focused on her as he removed her pants and underwear, but it became significantly more difficult when he felt how soaked her undies were between her legs. His eyes and hands had a mind of their own, and soon he was kneeling over her, smelling her and breathing her in her unique scent before running his fingers along her clothed seam. She bucked against his fingers, and he used every ounce of his control not to bury his fingers inside of her immediately. 

Painfully slow in his movements, he lifted her hips up and slid her underwear down until he could spread her apart and really look at her, glistening and eager for his touch. He had never been so thirsty or hard, and he felt her desire just as strongly as she spread her legs wider, inviting him in. 

"Ben, please," she whispered, voice tight with need. 

"I don't know what to do," he said honestly. 

"Let me show you what I like," she said, opening the bond to her most private fantasies as her fingers spread her slippery lips, accidentally dipping in and keening at how sensitive she was. "At night, I always imagine it's you touching me here."

Trying again, one hand opened herself to him while the other entered two fingers expertly, she groaning and lifting her hips to meet and swallow the fingers repeatedly. He growled again as he saw how her tiny fingers entered herself again and again until she stopped, pulling out her soaked fingers and looking at him expectantly, her body vibrating with need.

He licked her fingers before sucking them obscenely, loving her taste and needing  _ more. _ As he pulled off of them, he commanded, "Do it again."

She moaned and complied with his request to show him exactly what she liked, the rhythm, the placement, everything. His cock hardened uncomfortably, but he ignored his needs, determined to give her everything she deserved.

He had waited so long for this moment. 

He watched her do it again, his eyes glued to the way her fingers slotted in and out of her tight channel, each wet further egging him on until he couldn't watch anymore. He pulled her fingers out and sucked them clean once more before he hastily began, thinking he was ready. 

He stuck two fingers inside her roughly, not knowing better. She cringed, and he felt her pain through the bond. Shame and fear filled him, and he pulled out at once. "I'm sorry! I thought-"

"Ben, no," she said, grasping his two fingers. "I want that. Just, slower at first. I'm not used to your size. Here."

She guided his fingers in slowly where she needed him, and soon, she took them all the way in, groaning her desire. When he pumped in and out experimentally, just as he had seen her do, she mewled with delight. He felt lighter than ever, their bond formed during her taking his cock growing stronger between them, making them more connected. 

How the Force grew stronger between them because of making love he didn't understand, but he liked it. The Force wanted this, just as much as they did as he felt her sensations more powerfully through the bond, something else clicking into place between them.

"Yes, Ben. Just like that. Please, again."

He nodded, excited to do it again. He pulled out almost fully and entered her again. As she hips rose to take him deeper, he pumped into her again and again, feeling her need and desire for  _ more, harder, faster _ grow. He began a steady rhythm inserting his two fingers inside her, her cries becoming more and more incoherent as she begged for more. The Force knit itself around them all the tighter as the bond became saturated in their love and wild, animal lust for one another. 

As he examined each of her memories of pleasuring herself, he found something new and pressed another finger slightly above the other two, going slowly. He stopped when he felt a small nub, and Rey screamed his name like a banshee as he pressed it.

"Again, Ben," she demanded, and he complied at once. He alternated the pressure inside her, both slowly building as her hips slammed against him, her movements and words more erratic as she neared her peak. She babbled words and tried to press his face against her, her hands barely able to hold on as he finished her off. 

With a final kiss on her belly, he said, "Unravel for me, Rey. Let go."

He spread her lips with his free hand and pressed into her in both places, and he watched her thrown her head back, eyes closing in pleasure and crying out his name, melting into the bed as she came with a loud gush of slick. She covered his fingers and her legs, and he eyed her hungrily, unbearably hard at watching her release.

He continued to finger her since she never asked him to stop, and when she finally stopped moving, he pulled his fingers out with a wet pop.

"That was the most incredible moment of my life," she breathed, overcome. "I want more."

"You'll have more soon. I'm nowhere near being done with you," he said, more pleased than he wanted to admit. 

Watching her come apart for him, surrendering herself to him fully, was the most beautiful moment of his life. That she trusted him so much and wanted it again made him curious about what to do next, at least until he licked the fingers that had been inside her. As her smell and taste filled his senses, he abandoned his plan to examine her breasts in detail. His course was decided, and he was going to taste her again. Repeatedly, if he had his way. 

Remembering to go slowly, he spread her legs a little more and nosed her before flicking out his tongue for his first taste. Rey's hands clutched him in a chokehold as she pushed him inside. 

"Yes, Ben. Please, Ben. I want-"

Words became hard. He licked a long, hot stripe up her seam, making her squeal, and then he spread her lips further, licking each repeatedly before slipping inside her fully, loving how she cried out his name fisted his hair in her hands

As he grew more confident with his licks, he licked and sucked longer and harder, eating her out with zeal. He loved tasting her, loved her the bond between them became blurred with pleasure as neither knew who was happier about what or who caused whose pleasure. There was only a constant thrumming between them, this all-consuming  _ need  _ to know and have one another, and it was his one and only goal to make her come and feel the greatest pleasure either had ever felt. As she begged and cried out more louder and louder, telling him over and over how she liked it, he consumed her, not resting until she came on his lips and tongue. 

"Ben, I'm so close," she said, almost weak with need. "I just, I want-"

Her hands pulled his face up, and he saw another image of her, late at night. She seemed frustrated and unable to come until she placed two fingers inside herself, and he saw how she pinched her clit to send her over edge. 

He met her eyes and nodded in understanding, and tears of joy formed for her. 

_ I love you, Rey. _

As he spoke through the bond, he buried his face and tongue inside her once more, taking two of his free fingers to apply pressure to her clit.

She screamed her release, coating his face and pressing him as close with her hands as she could. His licks grew slower, more controlled as she recovered, doing his part to lick her clean of her mess everywhere. When he looked up, she looked quite done for, and he took far too much pride in it and sat up.

"I guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow for more," he said, smiling until one of her hands grasped his cock. 

He wasn't laughing after that. 

"My body can handle you elsewhere. Just not here for a moment," she said through grit teeth. 

"Good." 

The look on his face was primal, and Rey clenched her legs together before panting, "What will you do first?"

"I'm going to work my way up, starting with your toes," he said, getting into position. "You're all mine now, Rey."

"No one's but yours," she emphasized, smiling warmly at him as his kisses grew more gentle and loving, almost worshipful. 

With every kiss and touch, she healed another part of his broken, lonely soul. They built each other up by coming together, each feeding the other with more words of encouragement and love than anyone had ever shown them. 

He wanted to know  _ every  _ place she was sensitive. Ben was much better about keeping his eyes locked on Rey's as he made his way up her body, and he was rewarded with so many little expressions on her face, besides what he heard and felt through their bond, that he was certain he would always keep his eyes on her. 

No one else showed him that kind of love and devotion or kept on begging for more. 

No one had chosen him as she had.

When he came to her breasts, she still seemed hesitant to let go. 

"You can either help me remove this band, or I'll tear it off of you. You're not leaving this bed until I've thoroughly ravished you everywhere," he said with dark promise. 

Her lips screwed up into a challenging look as her chin rose defiantly. "I'd like to see you rip it apart."

He smirked. "With pleasure. I hope you have more."

"I don't, but-"

She was silenced by the loud rip of fabric, and her face was agog as he looked on smugly.

"I told you I could. I know what I want, Rey: I want you." His voice lowered an octave. " _ All _ of you. I see I've saved the best for last."

Her hands trembled, and before she could cover herself, he grabbed her hands and pinned them to the bed. "Not so fast, Rey."

"But," she whimpered, "I'm not, not good e-"

"Yes, you are," he said, claiming her lips in a passionate kiss. "You're everything and more than I deserve. You're my better half. We are a dyad, you know."

She grinned. "I know. But that doesn't mean I'm perfect."

"You're  _ not _ perfect; that's what I love about you," he said softly, sliding his hands up her arms and chest until they rested at the tip of her breasts. "You're perfect for me, though." He kissed each nipple, and she cried his name, pushing his face into her chest. "You understand me," he said, his voice muffled by her breasts as he kissed around each one of them. "You accept me."

"Just...stop...talking already," she moaned, huffing when he stopped. "Fine, fine. You win. I believe you; you want me."

"It's much more than simple wanting," he returned, stopping just short of one of her nipples. "It's this bone-deep  _ need.  _ To have you and please you."

"Then shut up and pleasure me already," she grumbled, making him chuckle. 

"You're always so impatient and impulsive; I love that about you," he said, finally stopping the flow of her words by lightly licking one nipple. 

She tasted of salt and something uniquely feminine and Rey, just like her slick. Something almost fruity and addictive, and he didn't know how he could go back to his previous existence, of not knowing her so intimately like this, of not sharing so many feelings, thoughts, and intimate knowledge of her body. With every nip and suck of her breasts, their minds and souls joined together just a little more, each seeking the other with single-minded determination. 

He could lavish attention upon her breasts forever. At first, her fingers had lightly traced the lines of his face and his hair. When he sucked an entire nipple into his mouth, she groaned at the feeling of his warm, wet mouth surrounding her. His tongue circled the nipple, going between light nips with his teeth and long strokes of his tongue, plying her as he watched her face grow redder and more consumed by lust. As her hips and body rose with need, he placed a knee between her legs to help with the growing ache he sensed, and her legs latched around it, rocking up and down his leg. The movements became faster when he finally switched nipples, taking that one more hungrily. 

As her hips rose and fell rhythmically, Ben felt the growing need to satisfy her down there as well at the same time. 

When she read his intention, she unhooked her legs obediently, releasing the leg soaked in her juices. "Please, Ben. I want you inside me so bad."

Gingerly, he stuck his three fingers in like before, gasping when she yelled his name. 

He tried to pull out, but she wouldn't let him. His nervousness filled the bond, and she leaned in to kiss him again.

"While you're still new at this, you should probably watch where you're putting those giant fingers of yours," she said, smiling. "I love the stretch, but slower."

"So I'm not in the right place?" he asked, trying to move until she used the Force to render his hand still. Gently, she moved until she could accept more of his fingers, stopping every now and then to give her space.

"Oh yes, you are. Neither of us just realized it until now. You feel  _ so _ good inside me," she said, eyes closed with pleasure. "I've never felt so full."

"You...like being that full?" he asked, becoming harder and more accustomed to the idea the more he felt how much she liked it. 

"Oh yes. I could never do this on my own. I want you to do this to me every night, before we sleep," she said dreamily. "You're amazing. Just...remember to go slow when you finally fill me with what I really want."

As she stroked his cock, he nodded his understanding. "I will."

As he finally let go of his nerves, she let go of his hand so that he could begin to thrust in and out of her with new vigor. With each new time, she grew louder, more vocal, and he bit and sucked her nipples, giving her as much stimulation as she could handle. As she drew closer and closer to her peak, she begged for release. 

"Ben, I want-"

His eyes met hers. "Yes. I know.."

"Come with me," she said, voice needy as she stroked his cock. 

He nodded his head eagerly adding another finger to touch her clit before commanding, "Let go." 

"Ben, I'm close-oh yes!"

He sucked and bit down lightly on one nipple as his free hand grasped the other, almost bringing her to the brink. She circled his tip and pumped him, grasping the base of cock firmly. Both were watching and waiting, wanting the other to experience the bliss first, and neither could recognize their feelings from the other, as caught up as they were. As their eyes met, he thrust his hand deep inside her and cock forward as one, as though entering her with it, and as she watched him spurt his cum all over her, she came, the power in her voice shaking the foundation of the farm. She loved watching him come, and her he felt her utter joy become complete as they came together. 

As her body rose up a final time, he was filled with rapture as she fell apart for him. She was so positively sated by the end that he was sure she would fall asleep before he even got into position beside her.

Seeing her so happy made him more courageous and willing to ask the question that had been on his mind since seeing her on Pasaana. 

"Who gave you that necklace?"

Her head jerked up, her whole body boneless and eyes heavy as she examined him, deeply confused by his question. "What are you talking about? Necklace?"

"On Pasaana," he explained, his fingers outlining the shape of it on her chest. "I stole it from you to locate you."

"Oh, that necklace!" she exclaimed, smiling and nuzzling into his chest beside him. "Why are you worried about it?"

"I thought you were interested in someone else-"

"Never," she interrupted, her hands making small circles on his chest and back. "Not when I couldn't stop thinking of you. It was a gift from a child, a little girl."

Through the bond, he saw the children of before, along with a small girl who gave her the necklace and asked Rey who she was. The girl was sweet, and he couldn't help but notice again Rey's sense of longing as she looked at the children, as though she wanted some of her own. 

He could help with that. The thought of having children with her brought him more joy and pleasure than he had expected. Pride, as well. 

What he would give to have children with her...

"Ben? Come back to my galaxy, please," said Rey, patting his cheek. "What were you thinking about?"

"Us being together. Children," he blurted before blushing.

"I'd like children with you one day. Many," she said, pulling apart to see his face. "How about you?"

"Yes. As many as you want, whenever you want them," he said with enthusiasm, making her chuckle.

"We'll see what the Force wills for us," she said simply.

He nodded, both satisfied. "Do you have a preference for how we sleep?" 

He knew what he wanted, but he wasn't sure Rey was ready for it.

"Yes. Snuggle with me," she demanded, patting the space beside her. 

A huge, goofy grin filled his face. He lay beside her, kissing her again before turning away from her, to let her sleep without having his bad breath keeping her up. What he didn't expect was the way she spooned him, treating him like the little spoon as she threaded her arms around his midsection, pressing her body against his until no space remained between them.

"Good night, Ben."

He blew out a long, measured breath. "Good night, Rey. Sweet dreams."

"They will be now that you're here," she said, kissing his neck. 

Both fell asleep soon after, and it was the most restful sleep either had. When both awoke, the twin suns were just starting to rise. They lay in bed for a time, satisfied to have another beside them until Rey's stomach growled at not being fed. After finding enough food, the two collapsed back into bed, this time leaning on their elbows and facing the other. 

"Hi," said Rey, her fingers caressing his jaw.

"Hello," he replied back, leaning in closer. 

He could get used to this. Waking up beside her every morning, seeing her bright smile greet him like the sun, except hers was warmer, more welcoming. She was the light in his life he never wanted to let go of. 

The energy between them now was different than it had been the night before; the urgency and  _ raw need  _ of before was gone, replaced with the awareness that they had the rest of their lives together.

They wanted to savor every small moment.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, pushing some of her hair behind an ear.

He was determined to take advantage of every chance he got to touch her, no matter how small it was. Both of them liked and wanted that connection that had only grown after the night before.

She nodded. "Never better. Usually I'm cold. Not last night."

"I'll keep you warm," he promised as she leaned into his touch, until his hand engulfed her cheek. 

Her eyes twinkled with something mischievous, and he raised an eyebrow. "You're plotting something."

"Only how fast and soon you'll let me touch you," she said, tapping his nose playfully before sliding it down his face. 

He closed his eyes and let her have her wicked way with him, content to feel the rough pad of her finger on his lips, jaw, neck, and eventually, his chest. 

"Move." She pushed him onto his back with a gentle shove, and he laughed. 

"So demanding you are."

She scrambled onto him, her knees on either side of his stomach as she made lazy designs on his bare skin. At the end, she made a single, short line on his upper right shoulder, looking on with pride.

"What was that for?" he asked curiously.

Her eyes grew softer as she showed him old memories of her placing marks to show the passage of days. 

"This is our first day waking up and being a couple together. The first of many," she said warmly. "I've never felt more at home."

His heart filled with new love for her, and he wasn't sure how it was possible. "Yes. We have a lifetime together. Home is wherever you are," he said, making her jerk her face toward him. 

Nodding, she tried to wipe away the tears that appeared, but he was faster, using his thumbs and lips to dry her tears as he leaned forward. "None of that," he admonished. 

"But they're happy tears," she protested. "We're together."

"At last," he breathed. "I need to make up for lost time with you."

She gave him a lopsided grin. "I won't say no to that."

"I want to taste you again," he murmured, his hands tweaking her nipples before his fingers wandered lower, wanting to feel more of her. 

He loved how she opened to him, how she came alive at his touch, making him feel like there was only him and her in the entire galaxy.

She ground her hips against his stomach, and that made his decision easy. He pulled her upward toward his mouth, until she was almost sitting on top of him. He breathed her in and nosed her center, licking the juices that had already begun to gather. 

"Ben, please," she urged, inching toward him. 

They moved together, and both sighed in relief when she was centered over his mouth, his tongue lapping at her eagerly. He drank her in, licking and sucking, and she rode his tongue, her hands gripping his hair fiercely as she rocked steadily with him. 

Instead of the fiery passion of the night before, this time the heat built slowly, each lick purposeful as he stoked her fire, warming every inch of them both. It was a heady feeling for him as she clung to him with her clenched hands and locked legs, their bond saying everything that her incoherent moans and garbled yeses couldn't. As she neared her peak, she began to move faster, and he was eager to please her, to give her whatever she wanted. 

"Ben, I'm close."

He felt it in the way her body tightened, especially her legs as they gripped him and held him in place. She was at the precipice, and he wanted to watch her free fall. 

_ Tell me what you want.  _

Since he couldn't speak, he used the bond to reach out to her. Her body loosened around him slightly, her hands messing up his hair. 

"You. Only you."

He would burn the galaxy to the ground for her, to give her whatever she wanted. If only to hear those words, over and over again. Those three words were all he needed as he felt his chest constrict with familiar feelings of devotion for her.

_ I love you, Rey. _

"Make me yours, Ben."

He surged up, boosted by her all the more. With another long swipe of his tongue, he pulled her folds apart with his fingers, opening her wider to gain better access. As two fingers entered her, his tongue found her clit. She tensed at his ministrations, silently needing just a little more, and because of their bond, he recognized that tension and answered, sucking her clit into his mouth and finally allowing her to find release.

He would  _ never  _ tire of tasting her like this, and watching how she came apart for him and only him.

Their bond hummed with shared loving words as she praised and thanked him, loving him all the more. He felt her every feeling and heard her every thought, and he dove into that pool of love, drinking deeply. He had to crane his neck to angle his head just right, so that he could watch her come apart. 

She was perfect.

When she recovered, she flopped ungracefully onto him, laying on him and seeming ready to nap. 

"Ben, if this is how good you are after just learning, I can't wait until a year from now."

"I'll have had much more time to practice," he said, grinning and leaning toward her to kiss her. 

However, she also tried to lean in at the same time, causing their noses to bump into each other's, and Rey giggled as he scrunched his nose and scowled. 

"It's okay, Ben. Let me," she whispered, her lips finding his. 

The kiss started off chaste, but it didn't stay that way now that he had had a taste of her. As soon as he opened his mouth to her probing tongue, she deepened the kiss. Her hands found his hair and chest, and he groaned into her mouth, his desire for her burning brighter and brighter. 

He wanted to feel her  _ everywhere.  _ He wanted to bury himself inside of her and get lost in her forever. 

With one hand, he played with her breast, and the other cupped her butt, seeking the feel of her hips as they crashed into his. Each touch was addictive, sending him higher, and when she ran her nails across his scalp and chest, he thought he would combust on the spot. 

He would've kept kissing her were it not for her breaking the kiss and laying hot, sloppy ones along his jaw and neck. 

"Ben," she groaned between kisses, "you taste so good. I don't want to stop."

"Then don't stop," he replied. "I want this. I want you."

Her hips slowly slid down his body, and he sought hers eagerly at the decreased distance. When his fully-erect cock barely brushed against her opening, she sighed in satisfaction. 

"Ben." She buried her face in his chest, moving lower and spreading her legs so as to position him better. "Please."

"Are you  _ sure _ you want this?" he asked, pulling her chin up.

He  _ needed _ to hear it, needed to know he wasn't just imagining it and thinking it into existence. Needed to know that she wanted it because of herself, not just him. He wanted her so badly it  _ hurt.  _

She sighed before grinning, and he felt her exasperation and appreciation. "Yes. I've never been so sure of anything in my life," she stated calmly. "Why else would I want your children?"

He chuckled, caressing her stomach. "Fair."

She leaned in. "You're it for me. Am I what you want?"

"Yes," he answered quickly, stroking her face. "More than anything."

She leaned into his ear before whispering, "Then take me."

He nodded, watching her as she moved down his body, positioning herself over his cock. 

He sighed in relief. "I'm not used to saying and getting what I want," he said softly. "This is...different. I have you, and it's more than I've ever had. You're all I ever wanted and more than enough."

Her lip trembled before she leaned in and kissed his chest. "That's about to change. I want you to tell me  _ everything _ , no matter how small or insignificant."

He nodded. "I will."

"Good." She gripped his body tightly as she lowered herself onto him. As soon as he slipped inside her, they stopped. That first moment of union made them both inhale sharply, a sense of awe and a feeling of something much greater than them swallowing them both. 

Ben recognized it first. "The Force."

"Yes," she agreed, closing her eyes and grinning as they both felt it, that almost palpable sense of joy as their bodies were finally joined. 

As they were always meant to. 

He was barely inside her, and yet, it felt like coming home for him. Her body opened itself to him more, her wet heat taking him a little further. He groaned as he felt her tightness. 

"You're so big," she groaned, her eyes closing in pleasure. 

"And you're so tight," he said, loving how through the bond he could feel her growing excitement as he filled her just a little more. "Deliciously so."

He loved the feel of the Force surrounding them, as though it waited eagerly for them to become one fully just as he had waited. 

She guided him inside her. The feel of her walls pulling him in was better than anything he had felt before, even better than her mouth around his cock or his tasting her. Little by little, she eased down his length, and he entered her, eager for the moment when she was finally sitting on him fully. It took all of his self-control to hold still and let her adjust, but he was thankfully distracted by her running narration that had begun the more he filled her. With every inch, she grew more in awe at how full she felt, unsure how she could fit more of him inside her, and yet wanting  _ more  _ as soon as she saw how much of him was left.

"You like what you hear?" she quipped, making him grin.

"Yes. You really know how to stroke a man's ego," he said, making her groan.

"I love you, Ben," she said, moaning suddenly as his hands found her clit, circling it. 

He felt her body loosen up, and her little sigh of relief was echoed back through him when she took him deeper. 

"Is it getting easier?" he asked when she was halfway down. 

"Yes," she said, voice tight before she grimaced in pain. He bent up, kissing her stomach and breasts to distract her until she pulled his entire face up, her eyes hungry as his body straightened. 

"I  _ love  _ how you feel at this angle," she said, kissing him greedily. 

He groaned, appreciating how she slipped over him even better. "Me, too. Rey-"

"Soon, Ben. Soon," she promised, sensing his growing excitement through the bond. 

"There's more," he said. "The Force. It's here. I think it approves."

"Of course it does," she said, grinning. "It wouldn't have made us a dyad otherwise."

Still, she closed her eyes again, and she sensed what swirled and grew around them, a new layer of tension building between them. Each inch further made him coil with tension and need, and her whimpers grew louder, her body itching for more. 

"We're almost there," he whispered. "You take me so well." 

She smiled and took him further and further, with less time to adjust in between. Their growing need began to make it feel more like a sprint, and their eyes met. With that heated gaze between them, he bottomed out inside her, and both held their breath.

There. 

_ Finally _ . 

Home.

Both felt like laughing, their heartbeats growing faster as they embraced the moment. He rested his forehead against hers, and she threaded her fingers through his sweaty locks, each loving how they felt when combined. The humming of the Force was another gift all unto itself.

"Balance," Ben breathed. "You and me."

"Light and dark. Together, perfectly balanced," she agreed, kissing him. 

"You fill up my darkness with your light, showing me the truth, and together-

"We make one, beautiful, gray whole," she said, finishing his thought. 

Their hands entwined, and both sighed at the peace found connected to one another. 

His kissed her once, and she squirmed around him. The feel of her muscles gripping his whole length left him breathless, and he growled.

"I love it when you do that," she said, kissing his throat. 

"You're making it harder to stay still," he said, bending to nip at her. "I need more."

"Mm good," she hummed, pulling him down to her neck, sighing as he kissed her repeatedly. "Yes, Ben. Yes."

He leaned back slightly to kiss her more, and the new angle made them both cry out.

"Do it again," she panted, the fire in her eyes arousing him even more. "I've never felt so full."

"Gladly." He leaned back and watched her sharp intake of breath, the Force creating an almost perceptible blanket around them, making their bodies feel warmer than ever.

They were going to burn from the body heat and strain that each exerted, each of their bodies preparing for the grand event. 

The greatest fire of all. 

It would be such a lovely way to burn.

As Ben bent forward once more, Rey's eyes lit up before she smirked. "I want to adjust our positions slightly," she said, lifting off of him, only to slam down onto him.

That slam changed both of their worlds, and set off a chain reaction as they realized just how good it could feel when he was inside her, moving. He watched her lust-filled eyes and saw how she looked him up and down, as though evaluating all that they could do together. As he peeked into their bond, he saw what she wanted, and it reminded him of his old fantasies aboard his ship. There she was, caught between him and the wall, nails clutching his forearms and any body part she could reach as she blindly gave herself to him. They were a tangle of limbs caught up in one another as she rode him into oblivion, their moans growing louder with every swift thrust he made, she meeting him thrust for thrust. 

"Yes, Rey," he said, kissing her before cradling her face and butt, moving them to the wall. 

She sighed, her body beginning to vibrate with new energy as she lifted off of him just barely, testing it out. 

Even the smallest lift led to the most delicious drag as he filled her all over again, and she was eager to taste it all. He was only too happy to help, helping lift her up with his hand at her butt until he was barely inside her. He felt her sense of loss through the bond, and he kissed her, trying to help. 

"It's not enough," she complained.

He smirked and tweaked one of her nipples, making her keen. "Yes! Please, Ben," she begged, her grip slipping. She took him in as far as she could, and it took every ounce of her control to keep her eyes open as she focused on him.

"I want to see you through this," she said, kissing him briefly. 

"Me, too. This means so much to me," he said as she nodded excitedly. 

"Yes! It's so special. I can't explain why, but-"

"You don't have to," he said, kissing her back. "This is much bigger than us."

Their bond sang at their joining, and both felt it as she nodded her agreement. The Force seemed to stir and grow, and the heat between them seemed to be at its highest.

They  _ had  _ to move. It was necessary, as much to relieve the growing tension and heat as to explore what they had. The tension and need between them skyrocketed as he pulled out and changed the angle as he entered, he grunting in response. She leaned against the wall, her hands resting on his forearms before she moved up and down him experimentally. She tried different amounts of movement and angles, and he watched with growing interest, noting each one she loved. 

He  _ lived _ for the sounds they made as they moved, the wet slap of their bodies corresponding with each grunt or groan they made as he filled her, again and again. Soon, he was participating, unable to just watch. He rolled his hips, wanting to know what it was like to meet her body, thrust for thrust, and he reveled in how her body accepted him, her hands going to his shoulders as she met his eyes and hips. 

"This is-"

"Yes," she moaned, their tempo increasing. 

He kissed her and touched every inch of her breasts that he could reach, the heat only seeming to abate when he moved. Even so, each snap of her hips sent new fire racing through him, and they silently agreed to see that fire to the end. Each moan of hers brought a grunt from him, and he couldn't imagine anything better than this, better than this give and take as he tried to give her all of himself. 

She seemed just as eager to do the same, based on how she held him. Her eyes seeped into his soul, filling him with that sense of rightness and acceptance that only she could give. Despite the frantic pace, their hands held each other tenderly, almost reverently, and their gaze remained steady. 

As their bodies met once more, he grinned. Soon, she was grinning, feeding off of him, and he felt her joy through their bond.

"Is this everything you thought it would be?" she asked, grunting as he hit a new spot within her.

"No," he panted, making her face fall momentarily. "This is so much better." He kissed her, and it was hard to separate from her lips. "More than I thought possible."

Her heart pounded faster, and her hips had a mind of their own, chasing his every step of the way. He pushed; she pulled. She came forward, and he rocked back, each seeking and finding the other again and again. His lips found hers, and it became impossible to hold her gaze after that. He needed to taste her, to feel her, and his hands ghosted across her sweaty body, leaving goosebumps in his wake. 

"I won't ever stop," he said between kisses, "wanting to do this. To have you. To kiss you."

"I don't want you to," she said, pressing him against her breasts, crying out as he bit and suckled them. "Yes, Ben,  _ please,  _ don't stop, never stop-"

"I can't."

With each ragged breath, they developed a rhythm, their bodies meeting one another halfway as they sought to blur the lines between them and where they were joined. Ben wasn't sure where he ended and she began, and he couldn't have been happier. 

There was only Ben and Rey, and the overwhelming sense of completion that seemed just out of reach with every touch and kiss they shared. 

As he neared his peak, he gasped, "Rey. I'm close."

"Touch me. Take me with you," she pleaded. "Be with me." 

"Always," he grunted. 

She had already been moving more erratically before, but his promise made her move faster. It made him fear that she would come without him, and he didn't want to miss that moment, that final meeting between souls. 

As he buried himself fully within her, he bit her right nipple, and his thumb found her clit, circling it until she cried out his name. As her body seized, she gripped his cock more tightly than ever before, and he spilled inside her, moaning her name into her chest.

He had finally found completion, there in her arms and welcoming body. He couldn't and didn't want to move, lost in the feelings of love and acceptance that washed over him from Rey. 

All was it should be, and he felt the Force sing its approval. With his eyes closed, he reached out to the Force, wanting to understand why it seemed so  _ happy _ as he continued to hold her and remain buried inside her. All he could find were two bright lights buried deep inside Rey, and the Force seemed to swirl and pulse within her.

It was too soon to hope that they could be parents, and part of him was still deeply afraid of bringing children into the world after how screwed up his childhood was. However, as he thought about how much Rey loved children and him, and of their earlier conversation, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. 

They could create new life there, where it all began. Together. 

He sighed in satisfaction, his finger continuing to help her down from her high. Her head drooped into his hair, and her hands scrabbled for purchase on him, desperately clinging to him. 

"Ben. Did you, did you feel-"

"Yes," he said, pushing up to kiss her. His lips claimed hers in another heated kiss as he slowly lowered them onto the bed, she on top of him. There they lay, their breathing slowing until he pulled out of her, albeit reluctantly. She pressed soft kisses everywhere she could reach, and he massaged her back and legs, sensing her pain from their joining. 

When both had recovered from their shared orgasm, he turned on his side and placed a hand on her hip.

"Ben, don't you get tired of staring at me?" she asked when he continued to stare at her.

He shook his head. "Never. Not when it's you," he said softly. 

"This feels so different, this sense of peace we have here," she said, touching his face. "I don't want it to ever stop."

"It doesn't have to, not while I'm beside you. We can take on anything together," he said. "We've defeated the greatest evil; we can go wherever, do whatever we want."

"Even if it's among my friends in the Resistance?" she asked tentatively. "I'd miss my new family."

He felt her hesitation through the bond, and he did everything he could to soothe her. "I made the mistake once of making you choose; I won't do that again," he vowed, shaking his head. "I know how important they are to you."

She dipped her head and smiled. "I think you'd like them, too, if you took the time to get to know them."

"Perhaps. All in good time."

"They're good people. If not, you can spend all your time with me and Chewie," she quipped, smiling at the thought. 

Excitement filled him. "I'd like that. We can take the  _ Falcon  _ on adventures together, see new parts of the galaxy."

"Could we see a waterfall? I've heard so much about them from others," she asked earnestly, leaning in close.

He grinned. "Of course. Anything you ever wanted to see. I know a place on Naboo. Perhaps Chandrila-"

"I love it. I'm ready to see them all now," she said, attempting to sit up and failing as her legs ached. "Or perhaps tomorrow."

He chuckled. "We have forever ahead of us." Then he looked out into the courtyard, and his face perked up. "But there's something I want you to see right now."

"Do I have to move?" she asked lazily, slinging her arms and legs around him, attaching herself to him permanently.

"No. I'll carry you," he said, looking pleased. After a few awkward movements, Ben pulled Rey into a bridal carry and took her outside, both naked and unashamed. Just as he hoped, the twin suns were starting to fall below the horizon. He slowly put her down, and with hands intertwined and bodies leaning into the other, they watched the suns set. 

It was the end of their lives alone, and a new beginning for their lives together. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!


End file.
